A report citing a Japanese publication late in January suggested the Toyota GT86 and its Subaru BRZ cousin were facing the axe. But now a Toyota representative in Australia has denied the claim, confirming a second-generation GT86 is indeed on the way.

Speaking to GoAuto, Toyota Australia public affairs manager Brodie Bott said a new GT86 was a certainty, despite earlier speculation the base four-cylinder version of the new A90-generation Supra would step in as the brand’s entry-level sportscar.

“When those reports blew up, we had a few chats internally and I can tell you right now, the car [second-generation GT86] is coming,” Bott told the Australian publication.

“I don’t know where these reports have come from, but at this stage we are certainly not looking to discontinue it. It’s a pretty important car for us and it will be the little brother to the Supra,” he said, adding “we’ve seen” the successor.

It’s not yet clear whether the next GT86 will again be developed alongside a Subaru equivalent or whether the two Japanese brands will each go it alone.

The Toyota GT86 line-up in South Africa currently comprises just a single derivative, priced at R593 100. The BRZ, meanwhile, was pulled from the local market back in September 2015.

Ryan has spent most of his career in online media, writing about everything from sport to politics and other forms of crime. But his true passion – reignited by a 1971 Austin Mini Mk3 still tucked lifeless in a dark corner of his garage – is of the automotive variety.